University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota vs. Southwest Minnesota State Player Quotes
11/6/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
GOPHER PLAYER QUOTES
Minnesota 88 Southwest Minnesota State 52
November 6, 2007
Minnesota Coach Tubby Smith
Opening statement:
“Southwest Minnesota State is a very good team; they shot the ball well. Their kids came and they played with heart, tenacity, and were impressive. In the first half they made a lot of shots, got some open looks because and were doing a good job of screening and reversing the ball. We got some things going with Al (Nolen) and Lawrence (Westbrook); Spencer (Tollackson) also got us started offensively in the first half and had a good game.
Some of the things that concern me are the fouls. Fouling negates hustle. We want to play aggressive but we don't want to foul. We had good balance, and we picked up our defensive intensity in the second half. Everybody did a good job of defending them and we did a good job of holding them under 40 percent shooting for the game. The defense was a key to getting the game turned around. Getting our hands up and getting deflections led to easier baskets. You can't allow your offense to not make shots and then hurt your defense. I think that's what happened in the first half. “
On Al Nolen's play:
“Al didn't miss a shot and he had a great game. He's a kid that's quiet but focused and is very talented. I was very pleased with how he played tonight. His line was very impressive. He can put it on the floor and puts it in the basket. He came in and made shots when the game was tight. We were shooting well, and when your point guard can make shots it starts opening things up. Al is also a very skilled ballhandler, a good passer and a very mature player. I am impressed with the way he has played. He is coming in and getting up shots.'
On game tempo with the absence of Lawrence McKenzie:
“We were missing a lot of shots early, and they were making shots. They did a good job early, being patient, moving the ball and controlling the tempo. We wanted to strike quick, so a couple of times we shot off the first pass and that is not us. We want to move the ball side-to-side, make the defense work and that is one thing we talked about at halftime. We need to be a little more patient offensively.'
Center Spencer Tollackson
On
“Everyone knows how quick and strong Wes is and he has really tried to focus on his defense as well, but he's a great scorer too. He had 17 tonight. He can play at both ends of the floor and I think he showed that tonight.'
Balancing aggressive defense with avoiding foul trouble:
“I think tonight we didn't do a really good job of picking and choosing the spots to be aggressive to go for a steal or to try to take a charge as opposed to if you're late trying to contest the shot. Tonight we got a little caught up in trying to get the steal and we may not have been as smart as we should've been, but that's what these exhibition games are for that's how we get ready for the regular season. We did a good job on defense tonight, but can do a little better job on how to pick and choose our spots.'
Forward Dan Coleman
On Coach's Smith's defensive strategy:
“The system is a little bit different in that there's a lot more focus on getting deflections and getting more possessions.'
On the season opener on Saturday:
“It's exciting because it's the first chance you have in thirty-odd games to show what you've been working on all year and put that on display, so I'm excited.'
Guard
On improved play in the second half:
“We played really well in the second half, Coach really got after us to be aggressive on defense at halftime. I think we were a little sluggish in the first half, but coach got on us to pick up our intensity in the second half. We got more deflections and steals and our defense turned into offense for us.'
On teammate Al Nolan:
“Al Nolan shot the lights out. He and I shot for three hours yesterday and it showed because he was hitting everything. We're both young and I think that we're going to be good together.'
